Mr. Lincoln was a lawyer on the
Illinois 8th Judicial Circuit, including court sessions at Postville
and Mount Pulaski, before becoming president of the United States.
The original Postville Courthouse was purchased by Henry Ford in
1929 and moved to Dearborn, Mich. The courthouse that stands on the
Fifth Street site today is a replica that was built in 1953 as part
of the city's centennial celebration. The Mount Pulaski Courthouse,
the county seat from 1848 to 1855, is an original courthouse
building where Mr. Lincoln practiced law.

Mount Pulaski's celebration on Feb.
9 will run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The featured speaker will be Brian
"Fox" Ellis, a local favorite, who will portray William Herndon
during an 11 a.m. presentation. Herndon and Lincoln were law
partners. The free public program will be in the second-floor
courtroom where Lincoln, Judge David Davis, Stephen A. Douglas,
Leonard Swett, Herndon and other lawyers of the mid-1800s 8th
Judicial Circuit practiced law. From 1 to 3:30 p.m. there will be
activities in a children's area with craft supplies for making
cards, bookmarks and pictures, along with an Abraham Lincoln
scavenger hunt. Complimentary Mary Todd Lincoln cake will be
provided throughout the day.

The celebration at Postville
Courthouse will be from noon to 5 p.m. The annual celebration will
include tours, refreshments, Abraham Lincoln interpreter Gary
Simpkins and presentations by the Civil War Ladies. Dorothy Salinger
and friends will present a program on clothing of that era at 1 p.m.
and 3 p.m.

The Abraham Lincoln Tourism Bureau
of Logan County encourages visiting both sites as they celebrate one
of the most important people in our heritage, Abraham Lincoln. For
more information, call 217-732-8687.